The present invention relates in general to the field of landscape edging for creating borders around gardens, flower beds, trees and other landscape features, and more particularly to a lawn edging strip with improved end connectors.
Conventional lawn edging devices used to create borders around gardens, flower beds, trees and the like typically fall into one of two groups. One group consists generally of edging that requires a trench to be excavated along the desired layout of the edging. Examples of such edging include brick, concrete blocks, flexible plastic edging strips, and wood. Once such edging is placed in the trench, the trench is back filled along the edging. As can be appreciated, the task of trenching and back filling is a time consuming and arduous one. Furthermore, achieving a straight line across the top of the edging as well as a constant vertical alignment of the edging while back filling the trench is cumbersome and requires precise trenching and backfilling.
The second group of edging consists generally of edging that can be driven directly into the ground without trenching. Metal edging is an example of such edging. However, there are drawbacks with metal edging. It is often painted and will suffer chips and flakes over time, and it can also rust. This negatively affects the aesthetics of the edging. Also, the edges of the metal edging are typically narrow enough to pose a significant safety hazard. Children playing in the yard or people performing yard work around the edging run the risk of stepping or stumbling against the edging and being cut by the metal edges. Further, installation of metal edging can be cumbersome in that separate stakes are required that are positioned along the edging and hammered into the ground to force the edging into the ground. These separate stakes are an additional safety hazard because the top of the stake may rise above the top of the edging and pose an additional risk of snagging or cutting a person.
One conventional lawn edging device that overcomes some of the drawbacks of the above general types of edging is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,045, entitled xe2x80x9cLawn Edging Strip.xe2x80x9d This reference shows a lawn edging strip that can be inserted into the ground without the need for trenching or stakes while at the same time remaining rust free, of uniform color and safe. The lawn edging strip is structured such that it can be inserted into the ground in proper vertical alignment. It is rigid enough to withstand hammering of into the ground yet is flexible enough in a horizontal direction to allow for curving of the edging. Additionally, the disclosed edging can be shortened and still provide two ends for connecting adjacent sections of edging. Connections of these edging strips are enabled by tongue and pocket construction of its ends to allow connection of a tongue end into a pocket end in a vertical direction, or from the top. However, with regard to this edging strip, access to the pocket connector after installation can be made difficult by the flat top edge that extends over the pocket connector at the top of the edging strip. Further, the tongue connector can sometimes slide out and disengage from the pocket connector after installation.
Another conventional lawn edging device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 426,322, entitled xe2x80x9cLawn Edging With Rounded Top.xe2x80x9d This reference shows a lawn edging strip having male and female connectors at each end. In this case, the female connector does not appear to have an overlying top edge. However, the connectors are still subject to sliding and disengaging after installation.
According to the present invention, a lawn edging strip with improved end connectors is disclosed that provides significant advantages over prior lawn edging devices.
In one aspect, the lawn edging strip of the present invention comprises a flexible body. A tongue connector is located at one end of the flexible body, and a pocket connector is located at the other end of the flexible body. The pocket connector comprises a slot feature sized to receive a tongue connector of another lawn edging strip and comprises a lock feature that prevents disengagement after connection with the other lawn edging strip.
In another aspect of the present invention, the pocket connector further comprises a guide feature to guide the tongue connector of the other lawn edging strip towards the lock feature and into engagement with the slot feature.
In a further aspect, the pocket connector further comprises a flap extending from the flexible body of the lawn edging strip and a notch formed in the flap. The notch is defined by the guide feature, the lock feature and the slot feature.
In yet a further aspect of the present invention, the guide feature comprises a generally curved surface extending from a top of the notch to a midpoint of the notch. The lock feature comprises a lip positioned at an end of the guide feature that narrows the notch to a width smaller than the tongue connector. And, the slot feature is sized to match a geometry of the tongue connector.
A technical advantage of the present invention is the ability to connect two lawn edging strips in locking engagement with one another such that disengagement after installation is prevented.
Another technical advantage of the present invention is the ability to hammer a top edge of the lawn edging strip above the tongue connector while inserting it into the pocket connector of another lawn edging strip. Further, the two lawn edging strips may be engaged while one lawn edging strip has been already inserted into position in the ground.